Both the Chen Manor’s butler and the two black-clad men who had been caught were taken aback by Chao Musheng’s sudden appearance.
"Mr. Chao," the butler signaled the thugs with a glance, instructing them to take the captives away first. "It’s so late—why aren’t you resting?"
"I was already asleep, but the sound of a cat woke me up in the middle of the night. I remembered you had asked about the cat earlier, so I came out to look around." Chao Musheng noticed the thugs dragging the men away and turned his gaze to the two black-clad figures with their mouths gagged. "Who are they?"
"Just thieves who broke into Chen Manor." The butler didn’t want Chao Musheng to pry further. "Please don’t worry, Mr. Chao. We’ll handle these two properly."
"Oh." Chao Musheng drew out his tone. "So they’re thieves."
The two gagged men, listening to the system’s countdown to their imminent erasure in their minds, had already stopped struggling.
"Player mission failed. Anomaly detected by the dungeon NPC. Immediate termination initiated."
"Ten, nine, eight..."
"A place as beautiful as Chen Manor shouldn’t be ruined by thieves." Chao Musheng shook his phone. "Don’t worry, I’ll call the police for you right now."
The butler, who had been planning to take the men away for interrogation: "..."
He hated meddlers the most.
"Seven, six, five..."
The call to the police connected quickly. "Hello, we’ve caught two thieves..." Chao Musheng reported.
"Three, two... bzzz—"
A deafening static roar exploded in the players’ minds, sending waves of agony through their skulls. They collapsed to the ground, expecting death—but when the pain faded and they opened their eyes, they were still lying in the same patch of wild grass.
"Mr. Butler." Chao Musheng walked up to the two players and pulled the gags from their mouths. "Taking the law into your own hands is illegal."
"Cough, cough, cough..." The players’ eyes burned with the exhilaration of having narrowly escaped death. They stared at the strikingly handsome NPC before them as if he were their savior.
"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Chao. I was only worried they might disturb the guests with noise—I hadn’t considered that." The butler’s smile was stiff, clearly displeased by Chao Musheng’s interference.
"Of course. Since the Chen family invited me as a guest, it’s only right that I help where I can." Chao Musheng noticed the strange, almost manic joy on the thieves’ faces and felt a flicker of suspicion.
They got caught stealing… and they’re happy about it?
Did they really prefer being handed over to the police rather than staying in the Chen family’s custody?
If he hadn’t intervened, what exactly had the Chen family planned to do with them?
Chao Musheng refused to leave, insisting on waiting for the police. The butler had no choice but to stand by and wait as well.
"Hey, you can’t leave yet." Chao Musheng called out to the Chen family thugs trying to slip away. "You’re the ones who caught the thieves. When the police arrive, they’ll need to hear the details of the case. If you leave, who’s going to explain what happened?"
"A minor theft case like this, especially since they didn’t succeed, shouldn’t require so much police attention," the butler said with a forced chuckle. "It’s late, Mr. Chao. You should go back and rest."
"An ordinary theft might be simple, but this is Chen Manor we’re talking about." Chao Musheng lavished praise on the Chen family. "Old Master Chen is a renowned philanthropist, and the manor houses countless priceless artworks. What if these thieves have accomplices? Or worse—what if they’re hiding malicious intentions that could threaten the Chen family?"
He gave the butler a reproachful look. "When it comes to a place as prestigious as Chen Manor, nothing should be taken lightly. As the manor’s butler, you should prioritize the safety of your employers above all else."
The butler: "..."
Why did such an insufferable person have to exist?
Seeing the butler at a disadvantage, the two bound players nearly wept with relief.
Thank goodness. They didn’t know why the system had suddenly vanished, sparing their lives, but they knew that if they’d ended up in the hands of the butler—this dungeon’s minor boss—they wouldn’t have survived.
But wait—an occult dungeon with police?
What did the world outside Chen Manor look like?
What if stepping beyond the manor’s borders meant being swallowed by the fog? Would that still mean death in the end?
"Little He, stay hidden. Keep Mr. Chao safe."
"Little He, we’ve coordinated with the precinct. Our colleagues will be the ones taking the thieves away."
Following the instructions in his earpiece, Little He adjusted the hidden camera on his person, aiming it at the figures outside the wooden pavilion.
The bureau’s team quickly ran facial recognition on the Chen family thugs—and found records for every single one.
All of them were ex-convicts with prior criminal histories.
"No matches for the two thieves in the criminal database. Little He, withdraw for now. Backup is on the way."
After observing the butler and confirming he wouldn’t dare harm Chao Musheng, Little He quietly retreated.
Once he was gone, You Jiu, who had been hiding in the shadows for some time, hesitated before slipping away in another direction.
Before leaving, he glanced once more toward where Little He had vanished.
Little He was a native of this dungeon, yet he was secretly monitoring the Chen family’s movements. What was his real identity?
This was supposed to be an occult horror dungeon, but it was starting to feel more like a mystery thriller.
The police arrived swiftly—but they didn’t just take the thieves. Even the Chen family’s thugs and the butler were "politely" escorted into the police vans.
Since the vehicles couldn’t enter Chen Manor’s grounds, Chao Musheng, ever the concerned citizen, accompanied the officers to the parking area, recounting everything he had witnessed.
"Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Chao." With Chen family servants lingering nearby, the squad leader didn’t dare say too much. He shook Chao Musheng’s hand firmly. "On behalf of the bureau, we appreciate your cooperation."
"You’re too kind." Chao Musheng smiled. "Just doing my duty."
Inside the police van, the two players couldn’t stop looking around. So the world beyond Chen Manor wasn’t just fog—it had buildings, streets, everything like the real world.
Chen Manor occupied a vast estate on the outskirts of the capital. As the police car sped down the highway, the players didn’t find anything unusual. But as they entered the city proper, the towering skyscrapers bathed in neon lights and the endless stream of cars even at this late hour left them pressing their faces against the window in awe.
This dungeon’s worldbuilding was insane. What was so special about this place that the System had poured so much effort into making it feel so real?
The officer keeping watch beside them frowned at their wonder. What was so fascinating about an ordinary city nightscape?
The players’ eyes darted everywhere.
Every license plate was different. Every pedestrian had a unique face. Even the occasional stray cat darting past looked vivid and alive.
The longer they looked, the more uneasy they grew.
This world… was too real. There wasn’t a single trace of a "dungeon" to be found.
The two were taken to the station, where someone led them inside. As they walked down the hallway, the corridor was bustling with noise—a drunkard confessing his love to a police officer, a lost child crying and begging a policewoman for a hug, and two men spitting at each other while the officer trying to break them up got splattered as well.
The chaos was so colorful, so mesmerizing, that the two couldn’t look away.
Were NPCs outside this world’s instance always this lively and vivid?
They were brought into a room, and soon an officer began questioning them for their personal details.
"Name, hometown, age, and ID number?"
The two players: "..."
What in the world was an ID number?
Shortly after, someone came over, scanning their fingerprints and irises.
"Captain, their information isn’t in the database. Initial suspicion is that they’re undocumented migrants."
"They sneaked into the Chen family as servants, yet don’t even have IDs?" The captain of the third unit couldn’t wrap his head around it. How could the Chen family hire such undocumented workers while nitpicking over the undercover officers the police had sent?
Were these two just young or particularly good-looking?
"Mr. Chao." By the time Chen You arrived, the two had already been taken away. He glanced at the bodyguards behind Chao Musheng and smiled politely. "Thank you for your help tonight. It’s late—let me escort you back to rest."
"Thank you." Chao Musheng scanned his surroundings. "Where’s Second Young Master Chen? I didn’t see him tonight."
In the past, wherever Chen You appeared, Chen Fang would show up within two minutes. Yet tonight, with such a big commotion, Chen Fang was nowhere to be seen?
"He’s fallen ill and is resting in his room." Chen You, assuming Chao Musheng was closer to Chen Fang, added, "He went out racing this afternoon and had a disagreement with Grandfather when he returned. By dinner, he claimed to be unwell."
"Second Young Master Chen is quite the lively one." Chao Musheng gave Chen You a faintly amused look. "If he could be as steady and reliable as you, Elder Chen would have far fewer worries."
"Thank you for the praise, Mr. Chao." Chen You suppressed a smile, forcing his lips back down. "My younger brother is still young. He’ll mature in a few years."
He escorted Chao Musheng to the entrance, where Secretary Liu stood waiting. Before Chen You could greet him, Secretary Liu spoke with a sarcastic edge: "Running around with bodyguards in the dead of night—do you really think you’re the young master of Kunlun?"
"These bodyguards were assigned by the boss. If you’re unhappy, take it up with him." Chao Musheng stepped onto the stairs, deliberately bumping into Secretary Liu’s shoulder and sending him stumbling.
"Throwing a tantrum and storming out in the middle of the night." Secretary Liu brushed off the spot where Chao Musheng had bumped him. "First Young Master Chen, thank you for bringing Assistant Chao back. I hope he didn’t cause you any trouble?"
"Not at all." Chen You smiled. "It’s late—I won’t disturb your rest any further. Goodnight."
No wonder Chao Musheng had been wandering outside at this hour—he’d had a falling-out with Secretary Liu.
Chao Musheng was still too young. Running off in anger only gave Secretary Liu the chance to wait for him at the door, making it seem like he was emotionally unstable in Su Chenzhu’s eyes.
No boss would favor an employee who couldn’t control their temper.
"Nicely done, Xiao Chao." Once back in the courtyard, Secretary Liu high-fived Chao Musheng in silent agreement. "But how did you know Little He went to the wooden pavilion?"
"I had an informant." Chao Musheng yawned. "Brother Liu, I’m exhausted. I need to sleep."
"Go on, go on." Secretary Liu, far from tired, was brimming with energy.
Causing trouble for the Chen family was a mission he took seriously.
Chao Musheng entered the house, careful not to wake Su Chenzhu. He slipped off his shoes and crept upstairs in the dark.
"You’re back?"
The hallway suddenly brightened. Su Chenzhu stood at the top of the stairs in his pajamas, his glasses absent, his features sharper and more striking than during the day.
"Mr. Su, did I wake you?" Chao Musheng held his shoes, his toes curling against the wooden steps.
"The floor is cold. Put your shoes on." Su Chenzhu glanced at his feet, then quickly averted his gaze. "You didn’t wake me. I wasn’t asleep."
"It’s almost two in the morning." Chao Musheng slipped his shoes back on. "Why are you still up?"
"Meow." Mo Tuan stealthily pressed against Chao Musheng’s foot, refusing to budge.
"Just some insomnia." Su Chenzhu’s lips tightened slightly as he watched the clingy kitten.
"Such a needy cat." Chao Musheng bent down to scoop Mo Tuan into his arms. The little commotion left him wide awake. "How about I keep you company and we watch a movie?"
"I’m used to sleepless nights." Su Chenzhu smiled. "It’s fine. You should get some rest."
"Insomnia alone is boring. Watching a movie together is way more fun." Chao Musheng strode forward, grabbing Su Chenzhu’s sleeve and tugging him toward the screening room. "Come on."
As he felt the determined pull on his sleeve, Su Chenzhu was transported back to years ago.
Sixteen-year-old Chao Musheng had held him just as firmly when pulling him out of the water.
